Valour Guardians 8: Namine's trials
by typhoonboom08
Summary: Spending months trying to find the place she calls home, Namine's travels lead her to a world that has been decimated. Yet it is in this hostile world, where everything is a threat, that she finds a chance to reclaim everything she lost. All she has to do is save a boy with an existence not too different to her own.
1. The Ruined City

**Disclaimer:** Don't own the characters or anything, they all belong to the owners of Disney, Ben Ten, Tsubasa Chronicles and Danny Phantom, yada yada yada.

* * *

 **The Ruined City**

Throughout the interdimensional pathways, the worlds one could come across varied immensely. Some were primitive, others well developed beyond most. Many societies worked in developing science and technology, while just as many relied on the art of many different types of magic. Some could be filled with cheerful, peaceful societies, some plagued with entire cultures based on war and bloodlust. Some weren't inhabited by high intelligent life at all, their natural beauties untouched by the wrath of humanoid progress, while some were barren, not showing the slightest suggestion of ever supporting life before. Through her travels, Namine had seen it all.

Unfortunately, even the barren worlds had a higher standing in her list of preferences than the one she was in now.

The portal that allowed her arrival had barely closed, wisps of light still flickering around behind her, but she was already filled with sadness and despair. Whatever world she had arrived in now was not dissimilar to the one she called home. Or rather, it used to be that way. She only hoped that her home never turned into this.

Whatever world this was, she had appeared in what was once an enormous city. Walking down what was once no doubt a bustling road, her eye caught sight of a sign being protected by a fallen piece of sheet metal. The board was well damaged and faded, but she could just make out the Japanese letters spelling out Tokyo.

"So, another Tokyo. A modern one this time." It was strange really, how something as simple as a name could cause both hope and dread to fill her. This was the third Tokyo she had visited in recent months, a fact that she hoped meant that she was close to one of the worlds she seeked, her home. Not only that, but this one appeared to have been around her world's level and type of development, quite different from those she'd found before it. One had a culture similar to her home's ancient Japan, though it relied heavily on unusual magic and warriors to defend it from demons, while the other seemed to be at the beginning of the industrial revolution, without a shred of magic to be seen. This one appeared much closer to what she was looking for and that filled her with hope.

However, she was also desperately hoping that this was not her home, or its very possible fate. For this Tokyo existed in a world of ruin and despair.

The entire city was in a state of destruction. Not a soul could be seen in any direction, which Namine found herself actually glad about. If someone was found out there, the state of their dead body was likely to be horrendous.

Every building that she could see was wrecked, though by what, she couldn't say. Many had crumbled completely, but others still stood, sort of. Most were missing huge pieces and were falling, large chunks already separated or bending over. The ground was covered not only in debris, but sand and what looked like droplets of metal. Many rocks could still be found, but all of them were unnaturally smooth, like all the roughness had been purposely burned away. It was like the entire city and everything in it was being slowly melted.

"I wonder what horror the people of this world set off?" It was a horrible thought, but this had to be the result of something. The size of the city immediately told her that it was once a long standing and prosperous once, and that meant that the fate this world had suffered couldn't be natural. There were of course some worlds where it could be, but none of them showed signs of a melting away metropolis. This city and its people weren't prepared for what happened here, their city wasn't built to handle it, despite the fact that it had stood there for a very long time. That meant, whether by a powerful curse or going too far with destructive technology, this was an unnatural event caused by the living. Whether it was their intent or not, someone or many people had destroyed their home.

Normally, it would be easy enough to tell if it was done magically or scientifically, but something about this world had her senses all messed up. The place radiated with strong magic, that was a definite, and the very same feeling seemed to be coming from different places, but while it was pressuring, she wasn't sure that it was causing the problem. And in reverse, the city ruins she'd found herself in definitely showed the advancement needed to mess something up scientifically, but no evidence of the cause remained either, not that she could see. It really was up to anyone's guess.

' _I just hope the whole planet doesn't look like this.'_ Letting one more sigh pass her lips as she stared out at the wasteland, Namine uped her pace and moved on. Whatever did this wasn't necessarily gone and even if it was, all the remains of the buildings around her were about ready to fall and crumble. She was going to need a safe place to rest for a while, something she knew for sure was going to be hard to find. Whatever was going on had clearly affected the outside of the buildings first, a few decent looks at the structural damage had quickly informed her of that, so heading for an open area was likely to be a death sentence. However, most of the cover was about ready to fall, leaving the constant risk of crushing her if she hid beneath it. It was a rather tricky dilemma, one that almost had her deciding that she should just open a portal to the next world right there and then.

"But that could cause all new problems." She muttered, scowling as she tripped on a pile of rocks, though quickly regaining her balance. "The next destination could be just as crap as this one, or actually in the middle of a warzone. Best not to waste the extra power or potions."

Passing under an old, well broken bridge ten minutes later, one that used to hang over a road rather than water, she was about to give up and settle near its edge when the grey clouds above started releasing their stored water. At first, Namine didn't pay it much mind. In fact, she actually smiled. She loved the sound of rainfall, it was one of the most soothing things in any world, an opinion that she was sure she'd gotten from Kairi. Her redheaded Other loved to listen to the waves lapping on the shore. The sounds of water were peaceful, comforting. It allowed her to finally relax.

EEUURRRRRHHHH!

However, all thoughts of peace completely disappeared as the also very familiar and much less desired sound of loud, groaning metal that always accompanied mass destruction in cities set her eardrums pounding. And to make it even worse, the screech was coming from all around her.

"Oh my God!" Her eyes widened in horror as she looked up. Up, to the left, to the right, wherever she looked, she saw the same thing. Smoke was coming off everything in sight. Everything the rain touched. "Acid rain! AAHHH!"

Not a second after she made the realisation, a part of the bridge, the very part she was hiding under, finally gave out to what must have been hundreds of torrential downpours of destructive liquid and plummeted to the ground, right down on her. The blond didn't even think as it fell, her body just reacted instinctively, and with a flash of light from her hand, she disappeared through a portal beneath her just seconds before she would have been crushed.

A blinding flash pierced the gloomy day again a moment later a hundred feet away, releasing a gasping Namine before disappearing after its counterpart. Resting on her knees, she took a few deep breaths and thanked whoever was listening that her new location was still out of the rain and momentarily free of the threat of being crushed as she forced herself to calm down. Not the easiest feat when you're watching the place you'd been only moments before being slammed by a thousand tonnes of metal and concrete.

"That...that is unreal." Finally managing to stabilise her breathing, Namine jumped right up to her feet and whirled around, focusing on all of her surroundings in much greater detail. If she had to guess, she say that where she was now was once an entryway to an underground train station, though since it had had a cave in about twenty feet down, she couldn't be sure. Still, despite that, she allowed her body to relax a little in the comfort of knowing that she was at least temporarily safe. The entrance seemed to have been covered before the disaster began and was relatively good condition. She was sure that it would hold for a while yet. And that relief gave her plenty of time to marvel at the realisation the world had just shoved in her face.

"This place...it's all been destroyed by acid rain." She couldn't believe her eyes, and yet at the same time, she couldn't be more sure. It perfectly matched the world around her. The way the buildings were all melting and breaking from the outside in, the way the rocks all looked so abnormally glossy and smooth so often, why there wasn't the first since of life, alive or dead, in the entire area. For it to be this horrific, this must have been going on for a long time, countless rainfalls, not one of which, Namine was willing to bet, was safe, normal rain. Walking outside, unprotected, it was life threatening.

"And that's only the obvious." Her horror only grew as she watched the rain only grow heavier, realisation striking hard in her deep blue eyes. "For it have poured enough to do all of this...every source of food and water would be contaminated! Rivers would send this downstream to anywhere lucky enough to be beyond the rain's domain and out to the ocean with a huge concentration. How far away would have to be to be safe? Actually, scratch that, first I'd need to know just how far these acid clouds spread!"

Now she was really keen to leave. Just standing in this world was dangerous. There was no conceivable way that she could be at peace there. Maybe in the next world she could find a way to get a bed and a hot bath. At the moment, such simple things sounded like paradise. Just about anything was better than both rain and shelter that could kill you.

It was only as she rubbed her upper arms, trying to dispel the sudden chill running over her skin, and her fingers hit a band imbedded with small diamonds and purple gems that she stopped herself from opening the portal. Groaning, she spent a moment simply rubbing the cold stones before conceding to her previous point of staying. She needed to regain strength. Creating portals from one place to another was easy enough for her, but to actually break one through the interdimensional pathways was another story entirely, one that only became even more taxing depending on the distance of the next world she intended to travel to. Normally, that was bad enough not to try too often without serious rest between each portal, but Namine didn't even know where she was, meaning her jumps, while succeeding in maintaining a general direction down the pathways, were random, with no idea of the distance and exact power needed to make it. Normally, she was confident that she could make it, with enough power to spare to protect herself if she arrived somewhere dangerous, but she always made sure that her reserves were at their peak to be safe. It was simply too risky otherwise. On top of that, the last jump had been a surprisingly big one and taxed her much more than she was visibly letting on. That settled it, it was simply far too dangerous to attempt. If she ran out of power before reaching the next world, she could be lost forever in the pathways between the worlds and if she appeared in the middle of a fight, she was guaranteed a quick death. There was nothing for it, for now, she had to stay.

' _I just hope the rain won't last too long.'_ Staring out at the once comforting, pattering rain, she slipped her duffle bag off her shoulder and opened it up, pulling out a very familiar black cloak. More grateful than ever that Roxas had mentioned leaving one of these behind at Twilight Town with a few friends he'd managed to make while spending so much time there, Namine slipped on the slightly big cloak and zipped it up, instantly relishing in the warmth and security it provided her. The fabric was strong and designed to protect the wearer from darkness itself. It was in no way perfect protection, but it would be plenty resistant if something were to force her into the rain, especially in comparison to her sleeveless shirt and shorts. Pulling up the hood, she zipped up her bag again and settled down against the wall, bundling herself up into a ball and resting her head on her arms as she watched the rain. That was all the rest she was going to allow herself for now. Food and sleep could wait until the rain had passed. At least then she'd know that her cover wouldn't be as likely to crash down on her.

...

Unfortunately, the rain continued well on into the night. Normally, Namine would have gotten fed up and created a portal to a more suitable place to weather it out, but not only had she been too new to this world to have a clue where anything was, she doubted that anywhere was really safe. Maybe wherever the magic was radiating from.

Luckily however, experience, something she'd had a great deal of since she randomly found herself in a Guild Hall in a world called Earth Land, had taught her to be well prepared whenever moving from one dimension to the next. Her bag was filled with a few clothes for different climates, a blanket, big bottles of water, packets of long lasting food, a few sketchbooks with pencils and paints of every colour and a number of items she'd picked up or made along the way. It was heavy and hard to get anything out, but it was well worth it. She was well prepared for most worldly conditions and the weight had proven great for strengthening her muscles.

Setting up camp, though making sure to keep everything close in case her shelter did collapse, she only waited long enough to carefully eye the other partially dilapidated buildings for a place to go before digging into her chocolate bars and sketching the bleak world she'd found herself in this time. Even at only halfway through, the detail was amazing. Every drop of rain looked so real, every detail of the ruins well detailed. By the time it was done, a perfect photo couldn't have done it better justice.

She'd taken to doing that in every world she saw, whether she liked it or not, and jotted the world's name, its location as best she could guess and the basics of the world's condition and culture. She knew Sora kept a journal of his adventures throughout the worlds, what she did was pretty similar to that. She liked that fact, it made it feel a bit closer to him. She really did miss the sweet goofball.

She was just setting the pencils back into their place and back into her bag when the clouds finally receded, revealing a large, full moon and blanketing the ruined town in a silvery glow. It was eerily beautiful, Namine had to admit, to the point where she was tempted to sketch it all over again, but thought better of it.

Rising to her feet, she quickly headed out of her little shelter, carefully checking it out both from the outside and the inside. Her sneakers were not thanking her for this as she stepped through the puddles of acid, but other than that, she was very happy with how the subway entrance had held out. There was no way it was anything close to what it once was, but there was still no sign of it collapsing on her.

"Not that I'm a carpenter or anything ." She grinned to herself, shaking her head at the thought. She had an eye for detail but that didn't make her a professional at determining structural stability. Still, her little hidey-hole would suffice just fine for now.

"Although..." A bit of a frown grew across her face as she stared at the ground. Specifically at the pools the rain had left behind. They weren't much of an issue to anything but her shoes right now, but if it rained again, they could grow and reach into her shelter. "That won't do."

Taking a keen eye around the area, she raised her hands and created two small portals at once, both of them underneath and sucking away decent sized piles of rocks that immediately returned to the world through exits that appeared right at the mouth of her resting place, effectively creating a physical barrier up to her knees. It wasn't much, but she only intended to stay there long enough to get a good sleep and probably consume her entire supply of food before taking off for the next world.

Moving back in, she set out her blanket, placed her bag on it to use as a pillow took off her cloak before settling down and draping it over herself. It was hardly the most comfortable place she'd ever slept, but she could make do. A fact that couldn't be disputed when she closed her eyes and dozed off, only holding on long enough to do a quick mental sweep and assure that there were still no signs of any animal minds anywhere within her range.

...

By the time Namine awoke, it was safe to say that not only had the sun been up for a while, but it had rained again, something that freaked her out a little bit when she made the realisation. It only got worse when she realised that this time the wind had blown toward the entrance. Fortunately, the rain hadn't quite made it to her, so all she really had to worry about after a few moments was the incredibly stiffness and soreness of her body.

"The sooner I get back home, the better." She grunted as she forced herself to sit up, tensing as a spasm travelled right up her back. "I have got to get a bed capsule from Capsule Corp. That would be heaven right now."

Shaking and stretching, she quickly set to work packing up. Piling up everything she'd taken out of her bag as neatly as she could, she opened her bag and dug out a bag of jerky before putting everything away. She'd have a quick, admittedly lousy, meal and then she'd go on her way, leaving this dead world far behind.

That was the plan. But of course, fate took great joy at throwing a monkey wrench into the works. Opening the bag, she barely managed to swallow one piece before the ground beneath her rumbled.

Panic flaring, she immediately shot up, ignoring the stiffness and pain completely as she snagged her bag and ran out the exit of her little shelter, just a mere moment before it imploded.

"AAHHHH!" Screaming, Namine dived into an army roll as debris shot her way, almost taking off her head, before springing herself back onto her feet and leaping back to the left as more cement and metal scraps barrelled in all directions. If she ever got back home, she'd have to remember to thank Kim and Jake for teaching her the basics for how to manoeuvre and evade, it was only those now well developed skills that were keeping her alive. Portal transport was useless, debris was flying from all directions. It would follower her through before she could close any portal she went through and too much would curve around any portal shield she could put up. Making two required too much focus for this instance, evasion was all she had. Needless to say, it was an enormous relief when it finally stopped.

Or rather, it would have been if it wasn't for the sight of what caused it in the first place.

"...What...the HELL?" Eyes wide, Namine could only gape, shocked still, at the tubular, slimy body as thick as a double-decker bus that was rising and curling from underground. "Since when do worms get that big?"

For that's exactly what it was. A giant worm that Namine was sure was going to push for a mile in length if it kept rising out of the ground. And if that wasn't enough for you, there was one other difference, one that had Namine breaking out into a cold sweat and gritting her teeth in fear. This thing not only had a mouth big enough to fit a cow in it, it was apparently a carnivore. Assuming from the rows of teeth the size of the average human head and so sharp looking that they'd make a shark jealous, of course.

Either way, though it had no eyes, it was looking down and baring them at Namine like a rabid dog. Its intensions were painfully clear.

' _I...I can't sense its mind at all.'_ Her whole body shook as she took a step back, wild hands already moving to the daggers strapped to her forearms. Not that any thought was put to them or any hope was placed on their blades, they'd be about as useful toothpicks against that something that size. No, all her conscious mind was focusing on her telepathy and the increasing fear that the total absence of another mind was causing. _'I don't get it, there's always a mind. Even drone creatures like bees have something! Why is this thing completely blank?'_

So distracted, she almost missed the fact that it lunged at her. However, quick reflexes kicked in just fine as she leapt back, giving her all the time she needed to get her head back into it. Before her feet even returned to the ground, both of her daggers were already glowing as she swung them around, both releasing energy that swirled to the point as she brought them together behind her head.

"Magical ball!" Swinging her arms forward, she flung a large, white, purple outlined ball like a rocket. It came in so fast, the giant worm didn't even know what hit it, let alone how to dodge.

What almost sounded like a growl left its mouth as the ball struck its head, flinging the head back up before it coming back down, more due to gravity than anything else. Taking advantage of the disorientation, Namine charged in, her daggers poised at her side. The moment the beast hit the ground, she swung her arms up, quickly and effectively cutting two trails down the body.

However, the beast wasn't so keen to just take it and Namine's act set herself right up for its trap. Continuing on her way down the body, Namine was actually growing optimistic about her chances. It wasn't until she was halfway to the hole in the ground the worm was coming out of that she realised her mistake.

"AHH!" With a quick flex of its body, the worm sharply curled itself, leaving Namine to run flat into it. "Crap, I forgot, no bones!" Stumbling back, she quickly moved to retreat only to gasp as the head curled back around after her, effectively trapping her in place as it lurched for her once more, with speed comparable to a snake.

Pinned down, Namine quickly created a light portal with a flick of her hand and jumped back into it. However, her sense of safety did not follow.

"How'd you even fit?" Screaming in terror, Namine found herself almost completely helpless, falling through the air thanks to a poorly planned portal and being followed by the a mouth full of fangs. She couldn't comprehend how it was possible, her portals weren't normally big enough for something that size, but she didn't have time to figure out the answer. Self preservation instincts taking charge, Namine immediately created another portal and passed through it, closing it the second she passed through it. However, she may not have needed bother.

BOOM! BOOM!

"Huh...oh my, oh!" It took a moment for her freaked mind to register what just happened, but once realisation hit, her face turned green and she almost puked as she watched every part of the monster worm that had passed through her portal crash into the ground, as did the severed end of the rest of it.

"I...I..." Bile threatening to rise and fly, Namine, whipped herself around, facing away from it as she took deep breaths. Her knees not really keen to support her weight, she let herself fall down, trying to get over the shock and figure out what happened. She hadn't intended to do...that. "I...panicked, I didn't expected it to follow me through the portal and responded by focusing on another portal...oh." A very dramatic grimace crossed her face as the answer presented herself. In her panic and need to create a new portal, she hadn't focused on maintaining the old one. Sever the portal and you sever anything that hasn't finished passing through, hence in this case, a beheading. That was bad, she had to work on that. What if wasn't a rabid beast next time? What if it was an innocent? What if it was a friend? No, that could never happen again.

"My my, that was rather messy, now wouldn't you say?" All the air left Namine's lungs as a man's voice met her ears. A familiar voice, one that couldn't be mistaken. Not after the events that caused her to meet him and not with that cheery tone filling it despite the gory scene he'd just walked in on.

Looking up, Namine could only stare in amazement. There he was. His grey hair was still up in the same style, he still wore the same lab coat, slacks and blue, button up shirt. He still had that old pocket watch clasped in his hand. and most of all, he still had that serene smile on his face as he offered her his hand. "Professor Paradox."

"Hello Namine." Taking her hand, he gently pulled her back onto her feet, letting his chipper smile turn into a much more warm one. "It is a pleasure to finally see you again, my brave young lady."

* * *

 **AN:** And there's the beginning of VG8! As you will have already noticed, Namine is a bit different from the others, far more aware and grown noticeably in skill and power. Trust me, you'll see more of it soon.

Anyway, this story basically is going to have two parts. Part 1 is being written alongside VG7 while part 2 will be done alongside VG9. For the first part, I recommend getting a basic understanding of Tsubasa Chronicles, particularly the story 'Tokyo Revelations. You don't have to know it, but it will make some parts easier to understand.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it.


	2. Paradox's Request

**Paradox's Request**

Taking her hand in his, Paradox didn't wait so much as a second before pulling them from their spot. Quicker than she could blink, the world around Namine disappeared and was replaced by what had to have once been an office building. The place hardly looked orderly or very safe anymore, rain had definitely long begun to enter the building, eating holes through windows and less thick areas, but it was still much more whole than any of the buildings she'd seen so far.

"This office was build a bit earlier than the average ruin around these parts." Paradox stated as he took a seat on a desk, completely relaxed while Namine carefully observed ever inch of the interior. "Back then, buildings were designed to last, rather than the modern versions and methods. Every substance that was used to construct it is thicker, better quality. This place is perfectly safe to reside in for another two weeks, so don't worry. It is after the small hurricane of acid rain that will then appear that this place will finally fall. But by then, you will be long gone, so it's of no issue."

"So, we are completely safe here?" Namine asked, turning her attention to out the windows, staring warily out at the land. The clouds were quickly descending upon the area again, promising more deadly rain, but that was far from the thing on the forefront of her mind right now.

"Oh yes, my dear. There will be no monsters here for a while either." Paradox answered reassuringly. "Where we were before however, is another matter entirely. The ending to your fight will no doubt have already attracted at least five other beasts to the corpse's location. The smell of such large portions of blood will have them come like a moth to flame."

"They're like sharks?"

"No, they will simply be hungry and see it as an easy meal." Paradox shook his head, moving to join her at the window. "As I'm sure you can tell, most life here has been extinguished. And no herbivore has any chance of survival here. The plants were the first things to die. So, everything that any creature can eat to survive also happens to eat them."

"So all that remains here are monsters?" That didn't sound good. Actually, she'd prefer it if there were no surviving creatures. Predator monsters were extremely dangerous not matter the circumstances or powers the individual had and these ones were somehow completely shielded from her telepathy.

"Mutants is more accurate, actually." Paradox answered, completely unphased. "That would have once been nothing more than your average earthworm. Almost every creature that's still alive was mutated by the conditions and adapted to them. The rest are humans."

"What?" Well that was a surprise. Namine could do nothing more than just stared stunned at Paradox for a full minute. That is, until her mouth went into overdrive as all her questions made themselves heard. "There are still humans around here? How could they live through this? Why wouldn't they go somewhere else? Why can't I sense a single one of their minds? I couldn't even feel that mutant's when I was right on top of it! Are they the one's that caused this?"

"Yes." Paradox stated bluntly, his face growing serious as he butted in. "The humans are responsible for this. This is a world with no magic of its own, outside that very basic essence that allows it to exist. The world's keyhole was long locked, and with it was all of its magical power, so this world thrived solely on technology. However, the people cared far too little for the damage they did in the name of progress and greed and the seemingly eternal acid rain was the result.

"Humans still live here because there is nowhere else for them to go." He went on gravely, turning sad eyes out over the city. "There are places that have been spared of this for the most part, but they are far too far away for most people around the world to reach. Drinkable water has become drastically scarce and even those who have a decent supply could never carry it to these safe places, even if they did know that they existed and where to go. If the rain and mutants didn't kill them beforehand, they would long die of from the lack of water before they reached safety. As to how they live, the people of this city have gathered into a couple dozen factions, each one holding a supply of drinkable water and trying to keep it safe from both the rain and the others trying to steal for their factions. Naturally, the number of humans left is not great, especially since they too must hunt for their food and that means getting into battle with mutants."

"They eat the mutants?" Namine stared at him like he'd grown a second head at that. "But they're..."

"Oh, they are contaminated and poisonous for the most part, but some parts of them are still safe to eat. I doubt they taste well though, but as long as you survive, that's all that matters." Paradox shrugged, completely waving the whole thing off. "Now I believe there was only one other question asked?"

"Yes, how are they avoiding my telepathy?" Namine nodded as she closed her eyes, trying again. Sure enough, there wasn't the slightest trace of mental activity within her range, other than Paradox, but then, even he was coming out fuzzy.

"Does this help?" Paradox simply smiled knowingly as he moved her hand to his head and sure enough, just as her fingers brushed his temple, his mind's presence came through to her perfectly clear. Or at least as clear as Paradox's ever did. Naturally, a man who was sane simply because he got bored of insanity after a few thousand years of it was hardly ever going to be the clearest mind to touch.

"You've advanced very far, Namine." His words once again had a serious tone to them, but this time there was also an undeniable warmth and pride to it too as she opened her eyes to see his proud face. "You have faced many trials over these last few months and have grown amazingly with each one. Your spells have grown stronger and more adaptable, as has your physical strength and skill, even more than I anticipated. You have also developed your mental prowess so much that you managed to regain all your memories on your own. However, you have yet to truly understand the nature of your mental powers and it is because of this nature that you are having trouble now."

Namine could only stare at him in complete confusion. The nature of her power? She'd never even questioned it. Her power was pure light magic. True, telepathy couldn't be coming from that, for it was another entirely, but she'd never worried much about where it came from, only the links in which it could create. Paradox stayed silent for a moment, allowing her to take it all in before pressing on with a chuckle.

"You my dear, are destined to be known as the Memory Witch. That was the first aspect of your mental powers you ever discovered and what the Organisation deemed a desirable asset, if you remember clearly. You remember all you could do with that, don't you?"

Namine could only nod as Paradox reclaimed that knowing look he was so frequently wearing. He was right, when she was first created, she discovered that she could alter, see and remove the memories of others, though never to a Nobody. But that wasn't all. During a run-in with the wrong crowd, before Xigbar had captured her, she had removed the memories of a gang member, making him forget he was a gang member, and as a result, had erased him from the mind of the gang. That didn't end well for him, the gang turned on him as another target and gave Namine enough time to escape. She'd never questioned how she'd done that. In time, her ability to read minds was discovered and she wrote it up to a simple, unconscious act of telepathy in a time of great peril. But the truth was, no matter how many times her mind came to that being the only possible conclusion, she could never truly believe that she'd touched a second mind at all.

"Telepathy is simply a scratch of the surface to your real power. An easier, indirect route. For you see Namine, what you truly do is touch the hearts and souls of others." Taking her by the hands again, Paradox guided her away from the window and into a chair just moments before the platter of rain on the windows began anew. "You touch and can manipulate their very essence, including the chains or imprints that attach their hearts to others, regardless of how strong or weak those chains are. What you can do, goes far beyond the minds of others. If you were to truly dive in to this power, you could influence entire natures of those around you. That is what truly makes you special and dangerous."

"And how does that affect this situation?" Namine asked, growing extremely uncomfortable, wrapping her arms around her. She'd always known this, in part, of course, though she never wanted to explore it. To mess with one's heart and soul themselves...it was a perversion far worse than entering one's thoughts and mental state. She'd never wanted power like that, she doubted there was any right way to use that kind of power.

"Put simply, it is reacting to a presence that is smothering out the others." Paradox answered, staring amusedly out into the distance with surprising focus. Following his line of sight, Namine just managed to follow to a tower she could barely make out before he turned his attention back to her. "As I told you, this world has no magic of its own beyond its core. However, another magical power has come from another world besides yours. A few types have actually, but it is one that causes you grief. One that currently has a total of three sources in this world, though all originate from the same being."

"How is that possible?" Namine asked, confused and very intrigued. "Was the source split in three? For it to mess with my senses this badly-"

"Each piece must be very powerful." Paradox finished for her. "And that they are. The original source is a girl with enormous power that obeyed no laws, not even the universal laws of magic. Unfortunately, when her power was awakened, the process was interrupted and as a result, her soul was shattered."

Her blood ran so cold in her veins that it felt like ice as those words registered in her head. That was the worst thing that could happen to a person and the biggest reason why she'd never explored the full extent of even her telepathic ability, let alone that power's true nature. To shatter a soul...it was a fate worse than death. The body may continue to live, but only in a comatose state, like an empty shell. The shattered remains of the soul would never find peace or afterlife. What consciousness the broken soul would maintain would be eternally thrown through chaos and torments unknown to anyone alive. To put simply, it was the total, absolute destruction of a person. Becoming a Heartless was a better option!

Seeing her face paling and her body shaking, Paradox moved right to her immediately, pulling her close. Collapsing into his chest, Namine just rested there, accepting the comfort he offered. "Do not worry Namine." He muttered softly, gently rubbing her back. "This case is unique. The damage is repairable. In fact, the girl has managed to reclaim a number of her soul pieces already."

"What? Really? How is that possible?" Namine gasped, immediately ripping herself from his embrace to look him right in the eyes with her wide, astounded ones. "The way you talk, it's clear that the soul not only shattered, but the pieces left her body! How could you possibly put it back together?"

"The nature of her power came into play." Paradox answered, giving her a small grin. "Remember, it is a great power that defies all laws. The pieces of her essence each turned into a feather, every one of them holding parts of her being and power. They have the power to increase the powers of those who obtain them or warp reality as the holder wishes. However, when they are near their true owner, they are drawn back and reunite within her. Unfortunately for her, there are many and they are scattered across the dimensions, even through time. However, with the help of the Dimensional Witch and her companions, retrieving them has gone very well." He added merrily, brightening up again, as per usual.

"So, Yuuko's involved in this." Namine mused with a frown, biting her lip. That only made her wonder what other sorrows this girl may have endured. She held no ill thoughts for the Dimensional Witch, but the very nature of her power and its demands for immediate balance was costly, especially for one who needed the power to frequently and freely move across the dimensions. Such a power was very rare to come by, the most common users being the rare Keybearers. Even Namine struggled with such a move. Paradox had great difficulty with it too, a fact that meant that his presence here was quite a significant one. The price for such a power for this group would have been a steep one.

"You would be amazed how many things that amazing woman assists with." If Paradox noticed her less than happy reaction Yuuko's name, he didn't show it as he pressed on just as happily as ever. "But that's beside the point of this tale. As I have said, each feather is very powerful and is a fragment of a soul, something your power touches, feels, and through that, their minds and magic. Coming from three overlapping sources, it is smothering your senses, to the point of drowning out all others. The only way to bypass it while this is the case will be to touch them. Though your gift never needed it, physical touch is always a great way to sharpen and focus one's senses and abilities."

Both of them fell into silence after that, simply listening to the rain and the groaning of metal as all the answers sunk in to Namine's brain. For a moment, she wasn't sure why she was bothering to take it all in. The giant worm and every detail Paradox had informed her of this world only encouraged her to leave even sooner. A new method had even presented itself now. Paradox was from her home world, where Gohan, Gwen, Kim and the others were waiting for her to find them again. He could take her home with him, end her problems.

But, logic was quick to remind her that if that was his intention, they would already be gone. She loathed to even think it, but considering that they were still there, that Paradox was telling her so much about this world... "You're not here to take me home, are you?" She asked sadly, turning back to look up at him. That which she dreaded was immediately confirmed as he stared right back, his face devoid of any emotion.

"I could do that. If that is what you wish." Paradox started slowly, immediately lightening Namine up with pure joy, before raising a hand. "However, if I do so, the one you care about most may never be by your side again."

"The one I...Roxas?" She was on her feet before she'd even realised that she was getting up as just who he was implying registered in her brain. She couldn't believe her ears, couldn't restrain hope and happiness suddenly surging through her veins, regardless of how unlikely this was. After all, Roxas was gone, reabsorbed into Sora. There was no way for her fellow Nobody and brother to come back. Except...

"Technically, yes, but it is his true self that can be returned to you. Ventus." Paradox answered, his smile returning as excitement poured over her face. "Though Roxas simply was Ventus with amnesia and a different, weaker body. You will notice some differences in his personality as his true self re-emerges, but he will be the same at his core. I can assist you in finding him, reviving him."

"How? Let's go!" Her bag was back over her shoulder in an instant. Going home could wait. Even if his memories were different, if his personality was altered, Ventus was still Roxas. She came to her new home world with him. The only thing she would love more than returning home was returning home with him.

However, all her excitement immediately disappeared as Paradox shook his head. "Hang on Namine. I'm afraid it's not that simple. I myself cannot help you alone. The route to Ventus is a tricky one and you will need the help of many to successfully travel it. I will of course, help you all I can. But first, you must work here to gain the aid of another."

"What do you mean?" Namine was definitely confused now. "I don't know much on the state of Ventus, but I do know that it's magic that can help him and nothing else. How could anyone in this world help me?"

"Consider it a request from me. An act of valour." Paradox grinned. "The girl in search of her feathers. Her name is Sakura. Like I said, she is on this world at this moment and so are her companions. One of them, a teenage boy with an origin similar, but different, to yours and Roxas' is about to lose himself. I'm afraid that there is only a small window of opportunity to save him from a very dark fate and the only one that can save him is you. So what do you say, Namine?" Paradox asked, once again chipper. "Will you help to save this boy?"

That wasn't even a question worth asking. If Paradox wanted to save him, that alone was enough for her to agree to help him. She wasn't one to turn her back on those she could help. And if doing so would help her on her way to finding and awakening Ventus, then all the better. Whatever it took to help this boy, she would do it.

"Tell me what I need to know."

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 **AN:** Well, that's chapter 2. I hope you enjoyed it. And thank you for the reviews and stuff too by the way, as usual, I really appreciate it.


	3. The Dark Schemer

**The Dark Schemer**

Paradox's information was very extensive and useful, much to Namine's gratitude. Knowledge of the world gave her a much better understanding of not only what had happened to it, but the patterns of the mutated monsters and people as well. Determining where each breed of the still living would be became much more accurate, allowing her to easily navigate the area without running into the mutant bat sweeping over what was once an airport or the ten story centipedes creeping through many of the still standing buildings. Between her portals and the understanding of what drew each of the beasts around there, she had only managed to be attacked again twice and both were easily resolved conflicts. She hadn't even had to break out anything from her bag yet. The rain was still an unavoidable issue of course, but by now, Namine had developed an eye for finding the safest places to hide.

Then there was the other aspect. With the understanding of her power and the magic brought into this world, she had been able to figure out how to dampen its affects on her senses. It wasn't gone from her mind by any means, whatever power these soul shards had demanded to be heard, but she had managed to pull away enough to sense what else was nearby, enough so that she felt completely safe even when she had to stop and wait out the rain. Though she wasn't sure whether she felt more relieved or disturbed as the world opened up to her again. She wasn't used to sensing out things in such destroyed worlds. Normally, in a barren world, she wouldn't use her power at all after an initial sweep of the area. The frequent emptiness left her feeling hollow and the minds of the beasts she sensed were disturbing on a whole new level. She couldn't even describe how it felt exactly, just that they were unappealing to touch. They were as mutated as their bodies and incredibly violent. A mindset that seemed mandatory for survival in this world.

Finally, there were her fellow otherworlders. Apparently there were two groups. One was a pair of vampires, though weren't much to worry about for her. Only one could see her as a threat, the other was comatose at the moment, and all of her powers were light magic, sometimes called holy magic, the greatest vulnerability to creatures born of demonic magic. No vampire would dare come near her with any kind of malicious intent. In fact, they would be keen to get as far away from her as possible. It was the other that was really noteworthy.

"Sakura, the Princess of Clow Country, born with enormous, law defying powers only for them to take her soul and shatter it into feathers that scattered to the dimensional winds. Fai, a powerful magician who strives not to use his power and steer clear of a tyrant he defeated in his own world. Kurogane, an incredibly, supernaturally, strong swordsman searching for his home. And Syaoran, the Princess' love and protector." Taking a moment to relax as the rain once more pounded against the windows, Namine couldn't help but grin at the thought of that boy. Paradox had been careful to inform her of all the facts regarding him. His kind were hard to come by. So loyal, protective, willing to become nothing more than a stranger to the love of his life, but staying forever by her side to save and protect her anyway. That was a fate far too painful for most to ever bear. Namine doubted she could ever handle it. She admired him greatly for that. But still, that was going to make what was about to come only that much harder, for everyone involved. "I wonder what will be harder for you." She mused, staring out into the distance. To the place she'd been assured that she'd find him. "The price of my help or discovering what you are, what you were made to be? Both are life shattering, but from my experience...I'd say the first one, no contest."

Her own heart ached as she connected the similarities in their plights. Learning what she was, what she was supposedly destined for...it almost broke her. It wasn't until her saviour came to see her in her cell that she dared to hope for anything beyond fading into darkness. If it wasn't for Roxas, and all the light and hope he radiated with, she would have been consumed by the darkness long ago.

But as bad as that was, being separated from Roxas, watching him disappear. Learning that she'd be tossed away from her friends, her family, her memories of them and theirs of her erased, that felt like her heart had been ripped out. She was just lucky that she had forgotten too at first. She'd still bore a horrible pain and sadness, but the lack of knowledge as to what had dampened it a bit. Then, when her memories started to return, and she started searching her head for what was lost, she realised that she could use her telepathy to restore not only hers, but everyone else's memories too, at least those that included her. All she had to do was find them. And with that, her hope was restored once again. The only problem was that the pain wouldn't truly leave until she could prove that it was worth having, that she had succeeded. Assuming that she was about to save Syaoran, she could only hope that he could see that hope too as the conditions of her help destroyed his world.

"Still, better I do it than he does." That thought was all Namine needed to harden her resolve as the rain receded. Her way was much more repairable, much less painful for everyone than the alternative.

Shoving everything aside for now, she grabbed her bag and opened a portal. The rain had stopped and according to Paradox, that meant that the humans would soon come out of hiding in search of food. She had to find the people Syaoran and his friends were staying with before the next rain, otherwise, it would be far too late to save him.

Besides, she'd already had more than enough of this world. She wanted to move on to Paradox's promise.

...

Luck was apparently on her side, for it was within two hours that she got her first hint of still living human life. There wasn't much in nature or a dilapidated city that you could confuse the sound of an engine for after all, particularly those of motorcycles. Pulling a pair of binoculars from her bag, she scanned the area and almost jumped for joy at the sight before her. Surrounded by flying sand and gravel, was no less than twenty bikes, each one carrying one or two people clad in thick, hooded, green cloaks. She couldn't see any of their faces, not that she would know what to look for beyond brief descriptions of her targets, and had no way of sensing their minds from this distance even if Sakura's presence wasn't pushing in on her senses, but she quickly grew hopeful anyway. If the ones she was looking for were with them, then great, if not, then they may still be able to provide information. They may still know Syaoran and the others.

Grinning to herself, she immediately created a portal to her side and stepped through, reappearing on the roof of another building ahead of the group. Crouching down, careful not to be seen, she pulled up her binoculars again and watched as they approached, this time taking in their faces. She was a little disheartened when she confirmed that none of them really looked anything like the descriptions she'd gotten, something only confirmed when she grew close enough to touch on their minds and confirm that they were all native to this world, but she didn't let that get to her for more than a second. Not that she could while the mental link was in place.

"Something's got them intrigued." She mused, her own curiosity being stimulated by theirs. Turning back around, she took a look off down their path, only to let out a gasp, dropping her jaw. "No way!" She cried, blinking twice before taking another look, just to make sure that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. But nope, the same thing was still before her.

Another giant worm, this one even bigger than one she'd taken down, was clearly visible for everyone to see about half a mile away and the green clad group were heading right for it fast. But what really drew Namine's attention, and probably the group's too, was the fact that the worm was completely immobile.

"That thing has to be dead." Of that, she was sure. She'd seen a couple of them since her arrival, though luckily she hadn't had to actually face one herself since the initial assault, and they never stayed still on the surface. Whether fighting or seeking out prey, they were active. The only one she'd seen one immobile was when it was dead.

That status was common in this world, but what really drew everyone's interest was how it died. Something that big had to be taken down by something pretty strong and it was definitely a fresh kill, but there was nothing in sight around it. Any beast that could have killed it would have started eating it immediately, which meant that the victor of the fight...

"Was another human group!" Namine practically shouted, excitement coursing through her as the gang passed her hiding place and moved on, quickly closing the gap between the groups. That was great news! That meant that she'd found two, probably different, groups, doubling her chances of finding the travellers. Not even waiting to stand up, Namine quickly created a portal beneath her and sunk into it.

...

That wasn't to say everyone else was so thrilled. In fact, some were downright furious.

Hidden far away, in a place few even knew existed and even less could reach, sat a middle aged man clad in dark, robes, emblazoned with a red bat symbol. His black hair, well into greying at the front and sideburns, surrounded a face that was perfectly sculpted for dark looks, scowls and evil smiles, with very thick and defined bone structure and a monocle placed over his right eye. The man reeked of magical power. And he looked ready to use every ounce of it to blow up the first thing he saw.

Sitting on an expensive couch, barely even noticing as his hand crushed a wine glass and spilt the red liquid over everything, his glare burned like fire as he stared at the magic mirror before him. It was a powerful tool and easily the most frequently used one as it allowed him to watch his plans play out. It was with this mirror that saw the moment that his plan came into action, the day that Princess Sakura's feathers were expelled throughout time and space, and allowed him to monitor almost every step they took from then on, regardless of what point in time and space that he'd pushed them to. It wasn't until the Dimensional Witch had interfered that it had ever had any trouble watching them, but even then, their actions eventually resurfaced within its surface. That had been a great nuisance to him, but he had found a way around it soon enough. This time however, was another matter entirely. For when he had lost them before, his mirror could show him nothing. This time, he knew exactly what world to look at, could see a little of it around the edges of the round glass, but the centre showed nothing but sheer, blinding white.

"Blast that witch!" He sounded more like a rabid beast than a person as he tossed what remained of his glass aside, shattering it against a wall. "Of all the times to interfere!"

"How are you certain that it is that woman's influence?" Another asked, this voice dull and feminine, near completely emotionless as a woman walked in, stopping behind the couch. Like the man, she was darkly clothed, her black, gothic dress also bearing the red bat mark, something that only stood out more against her pale skin and long, bushy black hair. Though her eyes showed intellect and hints of emotion, her face was just as blank as her voice as she stared at the mirror. "This kind of ability is not within the nature of the witch's power, nor is the level of interference."

"Perhaps, but make no mistake, she is well and truly involved!" The air actually rippled around him as his anger continued to fester and grow, his magic pouring out and around him, rising with his emotions. "The world they have entered is a critical one, you know this! I have taken the greatest of care, determining the dangers and magics held within it, making sure every detail was noticed and altered to match the needed state of affairs to ensure our success. Of all worlds, this one is where it is of the utmost importance that everything goes as planned. I even worked tirelessly to ensure no more dimensional travellers capable of interfering arrived! One way or another, she is involved!"

"Which would mean that she too understands the importance of this world and when they would arrive to it." The woman responded calmly, before her eyes flicked back the way she came, a sudden, undefinable emotion flickering through them. "Or has detected the new development beginning and is responding. If that's the case, then this is a plan long prepared, though I still do not know how she could have done this."

The scowl crossing the man's face only intensified as she went on. He knew what could do this. One of the powers that he had strived to keep his little pawns away from at all costs.

In his search for the power to defy the laws of the universe itself, he had come across a few possible sources. The most intriguing had been the powers of and associated with the Keyblades. The abilities of such weapons and their masters was truly unique. The power to unlock any door, literal and figurative alike, the ability to bypass all the sacrifices and demands for balance while travelling the dimensions with no limitations, that alone was desirable, valuable to his plans. But the powers these blades could unleash. Unlocking the hearts and powers of the worlds themselves. That was a power beyond even his imagination.

However, he was quick to determine that such power was likely to never be his. Keyblades could only be wielded by their masters and masters could only be created by the joined approval of a master and his blade. Then there was the fact that Keyblades were separated into two dominant groups, those with cores of light or darkness. A Keyblade of light was by far the most common, as those who wielded darkness were far less likely to ever grant power to another and often died before creating a single successor, and even they were rare. What's more, they are only forgeable with a heart that is dominantly light and are lost to their master if they are consumed by darkness. there was no way he could ever use one.

Still, his pursuit of them had led to other legends and connected powers. Namely, the Xblade and the war for the ultimate power: Kingdom Hearts. The source of all light. Both fascinated him immensely. The source of all light and life and the blade with the power that could hold it in check or release it. Either one of them alone would be the ultimate solution to obtaining his desire, together, with his knowledge and power added to the mix, they could make him the master of life, death and all in between. But of course, getting either one was quickly determined to be completely impossible. Many were currently trying and all their plans were clearly doomed to failure. There was but one who had even the slightest hope of obtaining one, but even he had failed many times before now and he had one of the few Dark Keyblades left in existence. Maleficent had come close recently, but that was with a world conquering, unholy army and in the end even that had not been enough. These were routes best left untaken.

Then there was the final one. A collection of powers born from the unnatural confrontations of the Keyblade War. Seven Princesses of Heart, beings with hearts of pure light, and thirteen warriors with hearts of pure darkness, each one to forever be reborn almost immediately after their death. The very existence of these hearts was unnatural. For every other living being in existence, the heart needed at least a small portion of light or darkness to survive. The ratios between light and dark could vary dramatically either way, but they both had to be there. Such law defying beings had definitely been intriguing.

Unfortunately, he never once found the Thirteen Darkness's, as the legends had deemed to name them. The Princesses of Heart however, were another matter entirely. He had found all seven. What's more, he even discovered the creation of an eight Princess of Heart and, even more encouraging, an almost intentionally created Prince of Heart and fourteenth Darkness. The possibilities these discoveries brought to his mind were endless. It was disappointing to learn that the Prince of Heart was created by a Keyblade and an unusual connection to a unique heart, but the eight Princess was still a sign of hope. It meant that the Princesses, like the power that created them, had the ability to transcend the laws of magic and nature far beyond their own existence. It was like acquiring Kingdom Hearts, simply with far less power behind them. Still, it would be more than enough to complete his goals.

Yet even that was not meant to be. It wasn't long after he started plotting and researching this eighth Princess more intensely that he discovered that a Keyblade forged from the hearts and powers of six other Princesses of Heart was involved in her creation and due to the power that each had now learnt to wield, their wills and those who protected them, getting all of them together again would be impossible. He could tweak others into making it happen, but placing them together would risk unleashing power that even he could never handle. And even if he got his hands on them, they were dangerous without intending to be and were only likely to capable of unleash the power he needed if they genuinely wanted to help him, something that would never happen. So he'd had no choice to continue on his plan with the princess of Clow Country.

But even then, he was grateful for the time he put into learning about these powers and their wielders, for it gave him a very great understanding. They were a threat to all of his plans, could do things that would ruin all of his work in an instant. The Heartless and Nobodies too, could have ruined it all for him in moments. So he had strived, planned and manipulated every move Sakura and her friends made to ensure that they never met any of them. It was a constant task, one of which he had almost failed many times over even before the Dimensional Witch started seriously interfering. The moves of Heartless could not be predicted and Keybearers travelled frequently in times of interdimensional crisis. He had often feared the day that they became aware of his actions and moved on him purposely. But still, he succeeded time and again, the feathers being found and the group taking their leave before Heartless or Keybearers could reach them. Six Princesses of Heart were, for the most part, stationary in their own worlds, so keeping them away from the Princesses' homes was all it took on that part. The other two were the only worry on that front and he had successfully managed to keep them apart too.

' _Until now.'_ He was absolutely sure of it. The moment he'd feared most had finally come to pass. _'This light could only be from a heart of pure light. One of them has found the same world as them.'_ He had to do something now! Yuuko's plan, whatever it was, could not ever be allowed to proceed any further. Not now, not in this world, not when the boy was showing signs of waking. He would have to act quickly, decisively and brutally.

Fei Wang Reed absolutely refused to let the results all his hard work come crumbling down right as they were reaching the beginning of their final stages. Even if that meant snuffing out a few lights.

* * *

 **AN:** I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you haven't read VG7's newest chapter yet, sorry for the wait. My dead laptop tried to take this chapter and my notes with it.


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